1 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. cultivate       B. reassuring       C. opposing       D. objective       E. confidence F. evidence       G. perceived       H. functioning       I. estimate       J. existing K. scientism

Why Doubt Is Essential To Science

The confidence people place in science is frequently based not on what it really is, but on what people would like it to be. When I asked students at the beginning of the year how they would define science, many of them replied that it is a(n)     1     way of discovering certainties about the world. But science cannot provide certainties. For example, a majority of Americans trust science as long as it does not challenge their     2     beliefs. To the question “When science disagrees with the teachings of your religion, which one do you believe?” 58 percent of North Americans favor religion; 33 percent science; and 6 percent say “it depends.”

But doubt in science is a feature, not a bug. Indeed, science, when properly     3     , questions accepted facts and leads to both new knowledge and new questions — not certainty. Doubt does not     4     trust, nor does it help public understanding. So why should people trust a process that seems to require a troublesome state of uncertainty without always providing solid solutions?

As a historian of science, I would argue that it's the responsibility of scientists and historians of science to show that the real power of science lies precisely in what is often     5     as its weakness: its drive to question and challenge a possible explanation. Indeed, the scientific approach requires changing our understanding of the natural world whenever new     6     emerges from either experimentation or observation. Scientific findings are hypotheses that contain the state of knowledge at a given moment. In the long run, many of are challenged and even overturned. Doubt might be troubling, but it stimulates us towards a better understanding; certainties, as     7     as they may seem, in fact block the scientific process.

Scientists understand this, but in the     8     force between the public and science, there are two significant traps. One is a form of blind     9     — that is, a belief in the capacity of science to solve all problems. And the other is a form of relativism borne out of a lack of     10     in the very existence of truth.

2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. neighbouring；B. concerned；C. complete；D. earnest；E. fats F. maintenance；G. notably；H. operations；I. regularly；J. specifics；K. shift

A good grilling

As they reopen after lockdown, many restaurants are firing up their barbecues. Diners appreciate food grilled over glowing charcoal embers, but the     1     residents often do not. Pollution levels near restaurants can be     2     higher than average, because of emissions from kitchens. With the increasing popularity of indoor barbecuing, it is a problem that is set to get worse.

The researchers tested a commercial grill,     3     with the sort of multistage filtering system used in many — though by no means all — restaurants. Apart from typical pollutants and particulate matter, they also discovered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (多环芳烃). These cancer-causing chemicals are mainly produced by the incomplete combustion (燃烧) of     4     and oil-based sauces. The researchers estimated that if their half-a-square-metre grill was used for nine hours a day, it would release between 400 and 500 kilograms of fine and ultrafine particulate matter into the air every year. With many restaurants using 2.5-square-metre grills 16 hours a day, the level of pollution from most commercial    5     would be much higher.

The researchers are investigating which extraction systems best protect all the people     6     such as the restaurant employees. Taller chimneys are one option. But Dr Aleysa, an expert in combustion technology, suspects they would just     7     the pollution elsewhere. The results of these tests will be published next year.

Meanwhile, Dr Aleysa’s team have come up with their own solution: a new kind of grill, which they reckon can cut pollutants by 90%. Dr Aleysa is reluctant to go into     8    . But the basic idea is that before being released to the outside, the fumes are sucked back down through the embers and into a combustion zone, where hydrocarbons and odour compounds are fully burnt. That lessens the need for expensive extraction systems and fiddly filters that must be     9     cleaned.

An industrial partner is keen to put the grill into production. It could go on sale by the middle of next year. It will cost a bit more than a standard grill, says Dr Aleysa. But he believes that would be offset by lower     10     costs. Better air quality around restaurants would be welcome. But the big test will be whether chefs believe the new grill can produce that same barbecue flavour.

3 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a prefer word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. emotionally   B. restructured   C. adaptable   D. withstand   E. dwelling    F. predict   G. counting   H. professional   I. regulate   J. surprise   K. bump

We’ve all heard of IQ, and terms like EQ, which relates to your emotional intelligence, are commonly used. But have you heard of AQ? AQ stands for adversity quotient and measures your ability to deal with the ups and downs of life. Being able to handle these rough patches we all go through is not only important in our personal lives but in our     1     lives too. So how can we learn to be more resilient?

Adverse situations can take us by     2     and shock us. In the workplace, it could be in the form of redundancies (裁员), the company we work for going under or being     3     or even missing out on a promotion. Failed friendships and relationships, financial hand times and even bereavements (亲友丧亡) are things that can occur outside of work. AQ measures our ability to     4     the shocks when life throws curveballs at us — how likely we are to crumble or thrive in these situations. It can be used to     5     our attitudes, perseverance, longevity, and the way we learn from changes in environment. In short, our resilience when there is a drastic change.

Luckily, there are some steps you can take to help you be more resilient and     6     in the face of adversity, according to Dr. Shahram Heshmat, professor of health economics at the University of Illinois. First, try and find a meaningful goal. Resilient people often have an aim and are able to concentrate more on a desired outcome, seeing negative situations as a(n)     7     in the road on the way to achieving their goal. Learning to relax and     8     your emotions is another key step - one way to help you de-stress is by practising breathing exercises. Likewise,    9     on things and letting them get to you can cause you to be stressed. See difficulties more as an opportunity to learn and grow     10    . Finally, make sure you have a good social support network. Being able to talk with someone about the challenges we face can help.

Things happen in life we can’t prevent - and sometimes they aren’t pleasant. But taking a few steps to be more resilient can make than a little easier to get through.

4 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. crowded       B. disregarding       C. prospect       D. secure       E. sheltering       F. shortage G. shrink       H. suspended       I. leading       J. vulnerable       K. groundbreaking

Jane Goodall

Sixty years after the start of her groundbreaking study of chimpanzces in the wild, the primatologist looks for a silver lining in the pandemic.

Chimpanzees have no     1     of deadly foes. Logging, mining, deforestation, human population growth,the bush-meat trade, the exotic pet trade,medical research, bad zoos: All have helped     2     the global chimp population from more than a million in 1900 to less than 300,000 today,   according to the international Union for Conservation of Nature. Now, add COVID-19, “The pandemic is a nightmare.” says Jane Goodall over the phone from her family home in Bournemouth. U. K. where she has been     3     in place since March. Because chimps share nearly 99% of human DNA, they are     4     to human-borne diseases. Human respiratory viruses are already the leading cause of death in some chimp communities. and while there have been no reports of COVID-19 outbreaks vet. all great apes are believed to be susceptible to the coronavirus that causes it.

To prevent transmission, scientists have     5     great-ape research across Africa, including at the center Dr. Goodall founded in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park. The     6     of a deadly virus wiping out vet more of this endangered species is “terrifying,” she says. This was supposed to be a festive time for Dr Goodall. 86. Galas around the world were meant to celebrate the anniversary of her     7     study of chimpanzees in the wild. which began 60 years ago on July 14. 1960. Instead， Dr. Goodall, who usually spends 300 days a year trotting the globe to give talks and meet leaders as an environmental activist, has been putting in long hours trying to     8     masks for local Tanzanians, raise funds for conservation projects run by the Jane Goodall Institute and cheer up staffers over Skype and Zoom.

But the new's isn't all bad. she hastily adds. Befitting someone who used the word “hope” in the titles of three of her past four books. Dr. Goodall isn't above squinting（斜视）to find a silver lining. “I think people are seeing that we brought this pandemic upon ourselves by     9     the warning of scientists.” she says. She hopes that policy makers recognize that raising animals in unhygienic factory farms or trafficking and selling them in     10     markets makes it easier for viruses to jump from animals to humans.

“I think this is waking people up,” she says.

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. healing       B. prioritize       C. assigned       D. symbolizing E. secondary       F. peculiar G. featuring       H. engaged       I. patterned       J. followed K. embracing

The Healing Power of Art

Dreams have no age limit. A 79 year old lady who restarts her life by painting proves that it is never too late to     1     oneself.

Meeting the 77-year-old Li Yufeng at her workshop in the Lingang Special Area, I am soon infected by her energy and passion.     2     pumpkins, Hami melons, pebbles and playing cards, a number of her paintings hang on the walls. All her works are inspired by the everyday things in her life. As the Mid-Autumn Festival has just passed when we meet, Li's latest works portrays a moon-cake     3     with a dragon and phoenix.

Natural and peaceful, her paintings have     4     power.   They   enable   viewers to   feel the   beauty of small things, which we easily ignore in our daily lives. Last year, she was invited to hold a painting exhibition at the Xuhui Art Museum. To many people's surprise, Li     5     with art just three years ago.

Li spent her childhood in   the   confusion   of   civil   war.   Her father was     6     to Xinjiang   Uygur Autonomous Region as a teacher in a middle school, and Li and her mother     7     him to   the land of rugged mountains and vast desert basins.

"The green lawn and the camphor tree in front of our house in Human have always been impressed in my childhood memories," said Yin.

    8     prosperity and freshness, green is Li's favorite color, which she frequently uses in her paintings. She recalls that she wore a green tweed coat on her wedding day in 1963.

Li used to work as an electric welde（r   电焊工）. Lacking proper eye protection, the flash from the   welding equipment   eventually   damaged   her vision. However,   that   hasn't   stopped   her from     9     colors.

Li became fully engaged in painting after her husband's passing away in 2017. Painting brought her into the present moment and let her forget the pain of losing her husband and her diseases. In the flow of painting, it is hard to dwell on so many troubles. For Li, her improved painting skills are     10     to the joy that art brings her.

6 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box.   Each word can only be used once.   Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. thread   B. illustrate   C. breaks   D. films   E. engage     F. second G. favored   H. constantly   I. embracing   J. considerably     K. certified

Learning for a Distracted Generation

Today's students have a problem, and it is not the one written on the board. They were born into a world where algorithms (算法) keep them clicking, scrolling and swiping at a rapid pace. Technology, smartphones, social media, and immediate access to the internet are hurting their ability to focus and changing the way they think.

Now teachers have a problem too. They find it particularly exhausting to ask students to read complex or long texts without taking regular     1    . Smartphones have clearly affected the younger generation, but how education should evolve for digital-native students was not something that was covered when they were getting     2     .   

A common     3     among teachers is that short is good. When students can't seem to pay attention to long lectures, many teachers simply hack lessons into smaller chunks (模块). In fact, students need time to     4     with a topic once the teacher introduces it before moving on. Switching between small lessons too quickly could rob them of valuable comprehension.

A 2018 study from educational publisher Pearson found that students aged between 10 and 24 tend to stay away from physical books. They prefer video as a source of information     5     only to teachers. Therefore, some tech-forward teachers choose to “meet kids where they are" on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Asha Choksi, vice president of global research at Pearson, gives the example of a teacher who     6     himself performing a science experiment and posts it to YouTube. When it is time for class, he uses the video to     7     materials in the textbook, which can seem boring to students.

Still, while those educators are     8     technology in the classroom to meet students’ needs, they are also finding value in traditional methods, and so suggest a blended (混合的) learning approach. Diregt instruction from them will never be replaced in their classes. Technology will be     9     only when it improves a lesson in ways that are impossible offline.

Digital natives will continue to eagerly adopt new media. Teachers have no choice but to adapt. They are making an effort not only to ensure that students take advantage of new technologies, but to teach students valuable skills that can help them succeed in a world     10     trying to distract them. Think of the Zuckerbergs, the Gates, the Jobs and all those pioneers in the tech world. They became successful not because they could code; it was because they could think.

7 . Directions：Complete the following passage by using the words in the box.Each word can only be used once.Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. complicated     B.concern     C.disruptions     D. eventually     E.frequent     F.healing G.holding        H.reminder     I. representatively   J. vocalizing     K.zero

Secrets are bad for your health

I grew up in a Midwestern town where the popular wisdom was to only talk about what was pleasant and to keep secrets，if necessary，to make that happen.This meant staying silent when someone offended you，rarely     1     negative feelings and smiling a little more than is necessary. It also meant     2     room for airing any sort of dirty laundry，especially not the kinds of personal secrets that keep people up at night.

Many of us like to believe that sweeping unpleasant truths under the rug might make them     3     go away. Instead，keeping secrets--especially heavy ones--can spin an even more     4     web of isolation and deception. So why do we do it？

The truth can hurt. But in many situations，it s better to get it out and let the     5     start，rather than allowing it to become more dangerous.The burden of     6     in the truth doesn't just disappear. It hides itself in the back of your mind and can cause a number of     7       to your life and health.

"If the situations in your daily life are regular     8     of the secret，and you find it stressful to keep it，then yes，it can have emotional and physical consequences.” says Dr.Dean McKay. “Some people also find keeping secrets stressful out of a general     9     that they will 'slip’. This     10     and recurring thought of the secret can in itself be stressful.”

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. prosperous             B. dedicated             C. defiance             D. imitated             E. instantly             F. claim G. prioritized             H. freedom             I. notoriously             J. traumatic             K. profound

The French Icon Who Revolutionized Women’s Clothes

In fashion folklore, Gabrielle Coco Chanel is famously credited as the designer who popularized trousers, making them a key piece in women’s wardrobes, and also for helping to liberate women from the tyranny of the corset (紧身衣). Instead of caging them in stuffy designs, her clothes     1     freedom of movement, mobility and comfort. She broke down dressing codes by borrowing elements of men’s fashion, such as pockets and tweed (粗花呢). Like any good pioneer, Chanel’s     2     of societal and gender stereotypes early in her career confused some, and inspired others.

Indeed, a look back at Chanel’s earlier career places her within the Roaring 20s, a time of indulgence driven by     3     economy and post-war recovery. Chanel was responding to the mood of the decade, designing clothes for women who exerted their new-found     4     by chopping off their hair and dancing to American jazz music all night. It’s easy to see why some view her as a feminist icon. Words like “feminine” and “femininity” appear often to describe her creations, though she never talked in these terms. What is really obvious, nevertheless, is that she placed women at the center of her creations and     5     her life to imagining a new way for women to experience fashion.

While the life of the legendary designer—for her     6     childhood as an abandoned orphan to the     7     that she was a spy for German intelligence—has been scrutinized (仔细审视) in film and books since her death in 1971, the body of her work and her contribution to women’s fashion is far less understood.

“There are more than a hundred biographies about her, which talk mostly about her private life,” says Miren Arzalluz, co-curator of Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto. “We thought we knew her. But what we realized was that we lacked a     8     knowledge of her work. As curators, we rediscovered Chanel.”

Take the iconic tweed suit, for example. The two-piece costume,     9     recognizable as signature Chanel, remains a staple in the modern woman’s luxury wardrobe nearly 70 years after it was first introduced to the world, and is     10     frequently in cheap versions by other brands. But beyond its aesthetic, there are definitive reasons that the suit has become an enduring classic. The secret lies in the details: the jacket was designed to be soft and light and the skirt is designed to rests comfortably on top of the hips and angles slightly backwards to hang below the knee, offering the wearer freedom of movement.

9 . Directions：Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box.Each word can be used only once.Note that there is one word more than you need.

A.overall     B.flooding     C.secure       D.invested     E.concentrated     F.consisted G.expense     H.prospects     I.narrowly     J.stood        K.factor

By some measures, South Korea is the most educated country in the world.Observers，however，have described Korean society as having an“almost cult（邪教）-like devotion to learning". Studying long hours at hagwons（辅导机构）has become so ubiquitous（普遍存在的）and excessive that Korean authorities in the 2000's deemed（认为）it necessary to impose curfews（宵禁令），usually at10 p.m.，and patrol prep schools in areas like Seoul's Gangnam district，where many of these schools are     1     .However，that only drives nighttime cram classes underground behind closed doors.

This extreme competitiveness has created a number of social problems：Suicide，for instance，is the leading cause of death among teens in Korea，which has the highest suicide rate     2     in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development（OECD）.Student surveys has shown that poor grades and fears of defeat are major reasons for suicidal thoughts，while Korea simultaneously has a growing teenage drinking problem.

Social pressures to succeed in the labor market，meanwhile，have given rise to a phenomenon called “employment cosmetics'"--one of the driving factors behind Korea's boom in cosmetic surgery，since job applicants are commonly required to submit an ID photo，and many employers     3     physical attractiveness into their hiring decisions. In another sign of competition at any cost,private household debt in Korea is soaring，driven in part by surging expenditures on education and private tutoring.

Social pressures are further amplified by Korea's relatively high youth unemployment rate，which     4    at 11.2 percent in 2016--a record number not seen since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Despite all the time，finances，and emotional resources     5     in their education，Korean youth find it increasingly difficult to     6     desired quality，socially prestigious jobs.The country's obsession with higher education continues to sustain a “college education inflation（贬值），"     7     the Korean labor market with a supply of university graduates that hold degrees of deflated value whose earnings     8     are decreasing.

While a university degree used to be a solid foundation for social success in Korea，observers have noted that many current graduates lack the skills needed for employability in a modern information society，and that the education system is too     9     focused on university education，while under-emphasizing vocational training. Korea's Confucian-influenced system has also been criticized for relying too much on rote memorization and university entrance prep at the       10     of creativity and independent thought.

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. foresight B. basic C. critical D. inconvenient E. inevitably F. minimum G. rate H. financing I. staffed J. typically K. prepared

Cities around the world are racing to declare themselves "smart". Smart cities make two fundamental promises: lots of data and automated decision-making based on that data. The ultimate smart city will require lots of existing and to-be-invented technologies, from sensors to artificial intelligence. For many, this promises a safer and more efficient city; for others, it raises questions about privacy and algorithmic （算法的）bias.

However, there is a more     1     concern when it comes to smart cities: They will be very complex to manage, with all sorts of unpredictable vulnerabilities.

As we know all too well from our personal lives, technology ages rapidly, with glitches（小故障）becoming increasingly common only a couple of years into its life. We accept regular disruptions in the internet and cellphone functions as a fact of life.

But would we accept the same     2     of disruption in, say, our water and power services? City infrastructure is designed to last decades or centuries and must always work.

Managing all the sensors and data will require a municipal administration     3     by tech experts. Since current average salaries for tech workers are     4     higher than for public employees, such an administration is likely to be expensive. Besides, new technology in 2020 will be outdated before 2025. If we widely use smart tech in cities, we need to be     5     to replace it every few years, with the associated disruption and cost. But who will assume those costs?

Cities must plan for the inevitable moments when the sensors fail to matter how often we maintain them. Failures in engineered systems tend to come at the most     6     times, like when a storm drops high levels of water and, at the same time, knocks out the electricity to a smart water management system.

The most     7     question, however, is whether having a smart city will make us better at solving urban problems. Data and algorithms alone don't add very much on their own. No matter how much data a city has, addressing urban challenges will still require stable long-term     8    , good management and effective personnel. If smart data identifies a road that needs paving, it still needs people to show up with tools.

As an infrastructure engineer, I seek the simplest effective solution to a problem with a(n)     9     of negative consequences. For many of our urban challenges, we don't always need new technologies or new ideas; we need the     10     and courage to use the best of the old ideas.